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A lot of people describe Scalzi’s Old Man's War novels as military science fiction, but I would classify its sequel Zoë’s Tale as a space opera. It’s a story about, well, Zoë, a teenage girl whose parents are invited to take leadership roles in building a colony on a new planet. Zoë is an enthusiastic member of the group sent to colonize Roanoke, despite the risks—and the risks are considerable even before the political machinations of greater powers boil to the surface. Continue reading Zoë’s TaleReview by SilkDiscuss it in our forums.

Messages - zas678

From my understanding, Mythwalker is kind of the basis for Warbreaker. From what I've heard, it's like comparing the short story Ender's Game (where there are no Buggers, and it starts out with Ender as the Commander of Dragon Army) with the actual novel of Ender's Game. They are kind of similar, but there are some very important differences.

Peter says they'll be selling them on brandonsanderson.com. But I have no idea what the timetable for that would be. I'd imagine they'd be there after Polaris and ComicCon, since they're already printed.

Certainly Dalinar is special in some way - after all, he's been reliably getting visions/messages from the Almighty for some time now. Of course, he may not be unique in this - others may be getting them now, or got them in the past.

There is other getting them as well- or at least one other:

Chapter 66- “That chanting, that singing, those rasping voices.”Kaktach 1173, 16 seconds pre-death. A middle-aged potter. Reported seeing strange dreams during highstorms during the last two years.

Just to be clear, Spook isn't the only one who's talked to. Elend, who has an enourmous level of trust and faith in Vin, is able to be "talked to" by Vin. The faith that a person has in a Shard makes it easier for the Shard to communicate to the person.

I think that even if it has been leaking, I think that it doesn't really matter. I think that Vin was such a powerful Allomancer that even if she had an extra 5% of Seeker power, she could pierce Copperclouds.

And I don't know how it works Realmantically with a removable spike. I know that the Koloss resued spikes, but besides that...

He says that he likes to have characters present their religion (or lack thereof) in the best possible light-because that's what real people do, and because it gives us more respect for the character (and the religion).

I realized that he does have at least one bit that is exclusively Mormon. King Nohaden (or whatever the author of the Way of Kings is) is based off of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon

He's a king who defends his people, and then when he gets older farms to support himself and then gives a big speech to the people about how "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." His people love what he says and have no more desire to do evil. Yeah, he's awesome.

But the thing is- a lot Mormons don't know that he's a general, that he defended his land with the sword and troops. And Brandon mirrored that somewhat with Nohaden. (Or at least Peter says so )

I think a better comparision rather than TLR would be Odium. Starts out evil, continues being evil, and grows in influence.

This is what Brandon has to say about his LDS influence:

Blackrabite My friend and I read Mistborn when we first heard you were going to take over on The Wheel of Time. We've been hooked ever since and you are definitely one of our top authors now.The friend I spoke of grew up in a Mormon household, as did my wife, and both of them say that a lot of your work seems to borrow or at least use ideas from the Mormon idea of an afterlife as building blocks. Are those just similarities or is your world building influenced heavily by those ideas?Most of what people are noticing isn't so much intentional as inevitable. Just like people see WWII influences in Tolkien (though he denied that there were such parallels) there are going to be LDS parallels in my books.I don't seek to expunge them; they are part of who I am. If I'm reaching into mythology and history for my foundations, I'm going to dip into LDS sources more often than others. So tell your friend and wife that they're seeing real things, most likely--though it's not intentional allegory.

No, I wasn't on this forum then. I would be pretty impressed to see such predictions pan out as described. But I would also challenge how many other theories were proposed at the time? Sure, one or six start to emerge as more plausible as more people clamor to refine it.

An educated reader can make almost any theory sound plausible, even if it was not the athor's intent. Ever read the essay which demonstrates that Fight Club was about Calvin and Hobbes? Or any of the more plausible theories from the WMG (Wild Mass Guess) section of tvtropes?

Everyone invovled will remember the correct theory with vigor once it has been proven, regardless how many erroneous theories were proposed alongside. Or how many erroneous details were accidentally attached to the correct theory, though they were part of a different puzzle.

If you want an example of the evidence of guessing, you should look at the link below. To give a reference point, it is made just a little bit before the release of HoA. They have 3 or 4 preview chapters (like we're getting with Alloy of Law). And the words "shard" and "Hoid" and "cosmere" has yet to be uttered...

(Although this is for the last book in a trilogy. It's got a lot more foreshadowing going for it)

EDIT- I agree with the Radiant-sayers. I think something is going on with Dalinar. With the visions, the enhanced use of shardplate, and the super enhanced strength, I think he is most certainly on the path to becoming a Radiant. In fact, his enhanced use of shardplate when he is protecting reminds me a lot of Kaladin's more effective use of Stormlight after he says the Words of the Radiant Knights.

Please give Peter a little more respect. Not only is he a valuable member on this forum, he is a moderator, and Brandon Sanderson's assistant.

I believe that what Peter (and Brandon originally) is saying is that from a writer's point of view if you are wanting to publish a book, don't write the Similarion.

They aren't saying that Tolkein was trying to publish it, or even that he was ever planning on publish it. They're saying that worldbuilding, pure worldbuilding (as in building a world with histories, dates and times) doesn't sell very well unless it has a compelling story behind it. Which Tolkein did with LoTR and the Hobbit.

I'm pretty sure those are the only bits that show the "radiant like power". But I believe that the visions and his inner struggle (as well as the disapearance of the Thrill) show that he is becoming more and more of a radiant like person. Plus, he was asked to reorganize the Knights Radiant. That will be pretty hard if he isn't one himself, kolo?

I think that Dalinar is not a knight- yet. He hasn't yet done everything he needs to, or said the words that must be said.

From a recent Q&A in Europe, Brandon talked about Investing (aka distribution of magic) He said that in Mistborn, it was determined by genetics, Elantris by the Shaod, and in Way of Kings, it was by actions done. I believe this means that anyone has the potential to be a magic user if they are brave/curious/intelligent/honorable/lead/heal enough.

I think that Dalinar being Brave in this section helped him reveal some of the Radiant traits that could be reached if he continues on this path.